


You're Interesting, but My Lack of a Love Life Prevents Me From Saying I Love You

by mishhinggyuu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Multiple Relationships, Reverse Harem, School Life, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 06:10:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19145140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishhinggyuu/pseuds/mishhinggyuu
Summary: Your name is Udai Airi and although you have an amazing aptitude to play volleyball, you instead decide to help a lonely bird make friends





	1. Kageyama's "Girlfriend"

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where I'm going with this story, but mixing a girl with a bunch of boys that haven't experienced real love (besides volleyball) just sounded interesting hahaa

“Ehh?! Kageyama has a girlfriend?!”

Kageyama’s hand swings out, going to smack Hinata in the head before he even realizes it; the action doesn’t stop a small flush from appearing on the tips of his ears, embarrassed that Hinata had to phrase it that way.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Kageyama bellows, “Hinata boke!” 

 

Kageyama ignores the obvious glare from Tanaka, looking down with a huff. “She caught me practicing my sets a few weeks ago and offered to help me when I practice alone. That’s it.”  
His teammates look amused. It was only natural after all: Kageyama only really had volleyball on his brain after all. And maybe milk.

 

“As if this dense guy could get a girlfriend, let alone a friend at all.” Tsukishima scoffs. 

Kageyama shoots him a glare before shaking his head. He needed to concentrate. Squeezing the ball between his fingertips, he bounces it on the floor a few times before throwing it up. His condition today was perfect, almost too perfect. He knew he was human and was capable of having a few bad days here and there. 

The extra practice must be working its way into his body and he smiles triumphantly. Before he could envision himself playing at nationals however, a familiar face pops into mind. Yours.

 

The two of you were similar, or at least that’s what he thought anyways. The two of you both had black hair and you both enjoyed milk, sipping on the cartoned goodness during the short breaks between tosses.

Although Kageyama wasn’t the type to initiate conversation by himself, the two of you could practice in silence for hours, both covered in a layer of sweat.

 

“Why don’t you ask her to come help during our practices?” Sugawara asks curiously. He too wanted to see who Kageyama’s mysterious friend was, “it might be better so that she won’t have to go home so late.”

“I walk her home anyways. And she says it’s no problem.” Kageyama replies casually.

 

Again, his teammates gawk at him. Did Kageyama act so gentlemanly on purpose because you were a girl or was he just that dense?

Naturally after the practice you two shared was over, he’d offer to walk you home. Since you two practiced in silence besides the call outs for different tosses, the both of you shared the long walk back to your house talking about volleyball.

 

So it wasn’t quite the reason that the others thought about, but at least Kageyama was still walking you home either way.

 

“Now I’m really curious.” Daichi muses, a small grin on his face. He and Shimizu share a  
knowing glance before she makes her move.

“It would be nice to have another helper as manager, especially since we graduate soon.” Shimizu hums out loud.

Kageyama caught the hint and a lightbulb went off in his head. He should ask you to become another one of their managers to help out with the volleyball club. There was only one problem.

 

He didn’t know you that well to just suddenly spring the question.

 

“I don’t know if she graduates soon.” Kageyama balks, eyes wide as he realized he might not have known as much about you as he’d hoped.

“An older woman!” Tanaka hisses, a hand clutching at his shirt. “I’m so jealous!”

“Weren’t you listening? He doesn’t even know what year she’s in.” Ennoshita sighs, smacking Tanaka out of his cougar fantasies. “Just text her or something.”

“I don’t have her phone number.” 

 

Everyone groans and Kageyama’s poor attentiveness. So much for calling you his friend.

 

They all clean up the gym and say goodbye, some more begrudgingly than others. Kageyama remains behind after receiving the keys from Daichi, giving him a short bow before resuming his practice. It was difficult to serve the balls without you helping him, especially when he ran out of them on his side of the court. He waited impatiently, checking the clock every few minutes until he heard the door slide open.

Udai Airi.

You poke your head through the door and smile, giving Kageyama a little wave before fully walking into the gym. He lets out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding, returning a short greeting to you. Setting your bag down, you begin to warm up a bit before starting your usual routine of tossing balls to him.

The two of you practice in silence, the sound of volleyballs echoing off the walls of the gym. Kageyama didn’t realize that time had passed by so quickly until you’d mentioned that it was already 12 AM. 

 

The walk home was quiet, Kageyama leading the way since he already knew what direction your house was located in. Before he knew it, he stood outside the gate, hands sweaty as he tries to speak before you had gone into your house.

 

“W-Wait!” He stutters out, afraid you’d disappear before he’d gotten the chance to ask.  
Stopping in your tracks, you look at him worriedly. He wasn’t the type to raise his voice at you, especially not this late at night. “What’s up Tobio-kun?”

 

He doesn’t know when you started calling him by his first name, but only now did he realize how much of an effect it had on him. Wiping his sweaty palms against his pants, he swallowed nervously. Why was he nervous? He only had to relay the message from Sugawara and Shimizu. 

“M-My team members are asking if you wanted to help us practice tomorrow since I always bring you home late…” He trails off. 

The way you tilted your head made his heart race, the corners of his lips fighting the urge to turn upwards at how ‘nice’ you looked. Nice didn’t seem like the right word, but Kageyama couldn’t understand the feeling he was feeling, so it was the best thing his jumbled mind could think of.

“Sounds good.” You agree without a moment more. “You guys start practice right after school is over, right?”

Nodding his head, you smile.

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow Tobio-kun!” 

With a small wave, Kageyama gives you a short bow before rushing home. His stomach is swirling with feelings he could only describe as anxiety, or maybe excitement? It was the same feeling he got when he played volleyball. 

 

All he knew was that he was looking forward to tomorrow.


	2. Last Names Are Lame

“Don’t freak her out.” Kageyama grumbles. 

Contrary to what he was thinking the night before, realizing that he had to introduce you to the rest of his team made him feel upset inside. It made his whole day feel shitty, dreading the time that went by too quickly despite how it usually took forever for classes to end so he could play volleyball. 

“Hello, I’m Udai Airi. Nice to meet you all.” You say, giving a short bow before coming back up and smiling.

 

“She’s cute!” Tanaka and Hinata cry out, automatically rushing forward to get a closer look at you.

Shimizu and a few of the third years chuckle, remembering how Tanaka had reacted to her first entrance into the club. Her amusement didn’t last for too long though, the two boys being stopped by Kageyama who stood in front of you almost protectively. He had a hand on each of their foreheads, pushing them back like little kids. 

“You’re too close! Too close I said!” Kageyama growls, not liking their enthusiasm. 

“It’s okay Tobio-kun.” You laugh. Placing a hand on his back, he lightens his hold on his two senpai to his dismay. 

 

“What year are you?” Hinata asks excitedly. 

“I’m a first year.” You reply easily.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Tanaka follows up.

“No, unfortunately not.” You laugh, half bitterly and half amused.

Kageyama feels eyes on the back of his head and spins around, finding all of the third years giving him a thumbs up. He rolls his eyes, grabbing your wrist and pulling you away from Hinata and Tanaka before they continue to badger you with more stupid questions.

 

“You can leave your stuff here next to mine.” He sighs, settling his bag down out of the way of their practice area. Usually they left their stuff in the club room, but since he was already changed and ready to warm up, he didn’t want to spend any more time away from the court.  
When you follow suit, he could only watch you carefully. You were on the shorter side, maybe only around the same height as Hinata at most. It made sense that you were a first year because you were so small, or at least that’s what Kageyama was thinking.

Bringing you back to the team, Kageyama watches anxiously as his teammates introduce themselves to you. He analyzes their body language and feels himself getting irritated when he sees that more than a few of his fellow teammates were behaving extra nice to you. Some of them even seemed afraid of your presence. You on the other hand had no fear, talking to Tsukishima indifferently just as you would to Shimizu.

 

“Come with me Udai-san.” Shimizu says gently, “I can show you how to prep the boys’ water bottles.” 

You smile, giving Kageyama a look as if to say you’d be back before walking away with the female manager. He watches your retreating figure, unaware of the smug looks that his teammates were giving him.

 

Practice resumes as usual, though Kageyama finds himself searching for you despite knowing that you’d be somewhere in the vicinity. He didn’t mind that you were hanging around with Shimizu so much, but as soon as Hinata or Tsukishima got even a bit too close for his liking, he’d walk over and drag them back into practice. 

 

“She looks like Sugawara!” Tanaka cackles, “they both have a beauty mark on their cheeks!”

“She could pass as Shimizu-san’s sister as well.” Kinoshita adds. His eyes look from one girl to   
the other. “They have it… Beauty- I-I mean, the beauty marks.” 

He shrinks as Narita slaps his back and laughs at his slip up. Kageyama scowls, but doesn’t say anything. He does realize that you have a beauty mark, though yours sits atop your cheekbone rather than being by your eye like Sugawara’s or by your mouth like Shimizu’s.

You look at Sugawara and Shimizu, a smile appearing on your lips as you tug on their shirts. “I could be like their love child.” 

Shimizu smiles at the joke while Sugawara’s face flushes a deep red. Daichi and Asahi immediately pull Sugawara to the side and punch his shoulders, their jealousy showing since he was too close to Shimizu. 

Everyone laughs at their antics and Kageyama sighs, a bit disappointed their practice was interrupted yet again. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to let you help out with the volleyball club. Then again, his teammates were usually rowdy and cut into practice time anyways. 

 

“The other teams are going to be jealous that we have two pretty managers!” Tanaka rejoices with a cheer.

“It’ll be more of a hassle to deal with you two whenever we go out now as well.” Ennoshita sighs.

“I think I can handle them. Right Tanaka-senpai?” You grin, letting out a happy laugh as Tanaka nods his head enthusiastically.

 

\--

 

“One more!” Kageyama yells, eyes only focused on the ball as you toss him another.

The two of you were going at it for an hour now, neither backing down and both being so lost in the practice that you didn’t realize that everyone else was breaking from exhaustion. 

“B quick!” You throw the ball high enough for Kageyama to set before excitedly slamming it down yourself.

“She even knows volleyball terms?” Yamaguchi gasps, amazed by your knowledge of the sport.

You huff, trying to catch your breath. “It’s hard not to remember them after hearing Tobio-kun say them every week.” 

 

“Udai-san!” Daichi yells, stopping you and Kageyama from practicing. “Take a break! You look like you’re going to pass out.”

Standing up straight, you feel your legs buck out from under you. Being so focused, you didn’t realize how tired you were getting, only thinking about how to hit each set for Kageyama to practice. Luckily Ennoshita was close by and he’d caught your arm. You gave him a feeble ‘thank you’ before shaking out the jitters in your body.

“Jeez Kageyama, at least take a break for her sake.” Daichi sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And you need to tell him to take a break too Udai-san. He’s too much of a volleyball idiot to realize his limits sometimes.”

Letting out a tired laugh, you plop down on the floor and try to catch your breath. “Guess that makes me an idiot too since I’m all worn out. I’m not even the one practicing”

Kageyama sits down next to you, immediately beginning to talk about what he needs to improve once you’ve both rested for a bit. Seeing that you were just as focused as Kageyama, Daichi sighs defeatedly, walking off to go and check on the others. 

 

“To think she’d been keeping up with Kageyama all this time.” Daichi shudders, afraid of how much energy the two first years have.

“It’s no wonder that Kageyama let her practice with him.” Sugawara hums, a fond smile appearing on his face as he watched you get just as hyped up about volleyball as Kageyama. 

“She said she didn’t know how to play before meeting Kageyama, right?”

“Her aptitude for volleyball is just as frightening as Kageyama’s.” Daichi grumbles. 

 

Practice goes more or less smoothly after that, everyone helping to clean up once it was over. Clean up went by a lot quicker with you around, something that everyone was grateful for. 

“Are you walking home with us A- Udai-san?” Hinata asks nervously, his face red from running around and mopping. 

“You can call me Airi if that makes it easier Hinata-san.” Your voice sounds light like wind chimes, causing everyone in the room to stop and stare for a moment. 

“O-Okay…” Hinata looks down, twiddling his thumbs as if he had more to say. “And you can call me by my f-f-first-”

“I have your bag Airi.”

 

Kageyama stands tall over Hinata, eyes glaring down at the latter as if to warn him to not finish his sentence. Hinata scurries off to grab his own belongings, unaware of the reason why   
Kageyama was being so particularly sour today. 

“Thanks Tobio-kun.” You grin, taking your bag from him gratefully. 

You wave goodbye to Shimizu before walking over to Kageyama’s side. It felt natural for the two of you to walk together, especially since you’ve been doing it for weeks now. 

 

“So… First name basis, huh?” Tanaka nudges Kageyama with a self approving smile. 

“It’s easier this way.” Kageyama huffs.

The reality is that he’s not sure when he started calling you by your first name, especially without any prefixes. Somehow, you’d both ended up just referring to each other that way. First names were much shorter and easier to pronounce anyways, hence why they’d ended up just leaving it at that.

While Kageyama is too busy pushing Tanaka off him, he’s unaware of Tsukishima who picked up the pace to walk next to you.

“So how did you end up befriending the king of the court?” 

Kageyama snaps around to look at Tsukishima, who was already plotting to make him look bad in front of you somehow. “Don’t call me that, Shittyshima.”

You laugh at the nickname, looking over to Tsukishima with a catty grin of your own. “He seemed lonely practicing by himself, so I just took a chance. And I’m glad I did because Tobio-kun is really cool to hang out with.”

Hearing her words of praise, Kageyama can only shoot a shit eating grin at Tsukishima who wasn’t expecting Airi to make him look good. Tsukishima rolls his eyes, but doesn’t stop his attack. 

“Speaking of which, saying Tobio-kun and Kageyama have the same amount of syllables. Is it really easier?” He chides, watching your reaction as you shrug.

“I guess I’ll just call him Tobio then. It’s shorter, right Tobio?”

Kageyama nods, his grin getting even bigger as Tsukishima falters. They might be teammates, but nothing made him feel better than putting the overgrown light post in his place. 

 

They all part ways, except for Kageyama and you. He makes sure to walk her home, waiting until she’d gone into her house before retracing his steps to return to his own home. He didn’t tell you that they would pass his house every time he’d walk you home; you didn’t ask, so he never bothered to say anything.


	3. Trashykawa and His Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man I love Iwaizumi! fuck

“Eh? Is it really okay for me to come along?” You asks curiously.

Although you’d just recently accepted the position of manager alongside Shimizu, you didn’t expect to be asked by Daichi to come with them to their practice match against Aobajohsai. 

“Although only one manager can be down on the court with us, it would be nice if you could get the feel of the game outside of our practices.” Sugawara smiles, your excited aura making him feel just as happy.

 

“I’m excited, aren’t you Tobio?” You hum, looking over at Kageyama who was lost in his thoughts. “Tobio?”

Kageyama jumps a bit, looking at you and scratching the back of his head. “Sorry. Just a bit nervous.”

“Why?” You ask curiously. It was strange to see Kageyama looking so worried.

“A lot of my old teammates went to Aobajohsai…” He trails off.

You don’t ask anything more and just lean against him, your arms pressing together slightly to try and cheer him up. “You shouldn’t worry about things that happened in the past.”

 

Looking at the rest of Karasuno, you smile. “All of these guys here… They’re on your side. Especially Hinata.” You chuckle.

Kageyama snorts, still finding Hinata to be more of a liability than a beneficial part of the team. He doesn’t deny your words though, feeling grateful that you knew what to say to calm his nerves. 

 

The next few weeks pass by quickly and by the time Kageyama realizes it, the entire team of Karasuno was getting off the bus at Aobajohsai for their practice match. Kageyama was too distracted by his own nerves to focus on the fact that Hinata had puked all over Tanaka, his mind set on beating Aobajohsai and getting this over with.

 

If the team thought the bus ride with a sick Hinata was bad, the first set really took the cake; the poor orange haired boy made numerous mistakes that costed them the first set, causing Kageyama to lose his cool.

You could see the opposing team giving snide remarks to Kageyama, but you couldn’t do anything to stop them. Instead of letting Kageyama ruin the team atmosphere, you wave him over to the sidelines where you stood in the bleachers. 

 

“I’m fine.” Kageyama huffs, not looking you in the eye as he continues to seethe about losing the first set due to small mistakes.

“You’re not and we both know it.” You sigh.

It was a shame you were restricted to staying in the bleachers. You couldn’t comfort Kageyama like you’d wanted to, so you just opted on telling him the truth.

 

“Being selfish on the court is the reason why they call you king of the court, you know.”

Kageyama’s head snaps up, the anger visible in his eyes. When he meets your own line of sight, his chest hurt. Your eyes looked sad, as if his own pain was more unbearable to you than to himself. It did hurt you seeing him so distraught and it clearly showed on your face.

“Don’t forget that everyone on your side of the net is on your side Tobio.” You say firmly, not breaking eye contact with him. 

You knew Kageyama had a problem with trusting others when it came to volleyball, but if he wanted to win, he had no choice. Not wanting to leave on a sour note, you smile. 

 

“I know you’re going to win, so I don’t need to say it.” You say confidently, “just make sure to be ready to practice later tonight when we get back to Miyagi.”

Kageyama’s nose crinkles, but he’s not upset anymore. In contrast, he has a genuine smile on his face. “Don’t complain if your legs end up giving way again.”

 

Just like you’d said, Karasuno had won 2-1 against Aobajohsai. Kageyama looked content with winning, though you couldn’t help but notice the tension when Aobajohsai had subbed in a new setter during the third set.

Rushing down after the teams had bowed and said thank you for the good game, you found Kageyama and ran full speed, both hands up ready for a high five. He wasn’t expecting you, but tried his best to high five you back. 

 

“Ehhhhh? Tobio-chan has a girlfriend now?”

“Tobio-chan?” You say aloud, confused by the person that was referring to Kageyama in such a familiar way.

Kageyama tenses up, pushing his way in between you and the person that the new voice belonged to. It didn’t stop you from trying to see who it was though, shoving Kageyama aside with all your might to find the setter from the Aobajohsai team.

He eyes you out, as if to analyze you from top to bottom. It made you feel weird, especially since the latter had smiled as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

“Hello Oikawa-senpai.” Kageyama says bitterly, “Airi, we should go-”

“Oho, and her name is Airi?” The one named Oikawa moves quickly, practically prancing around Kageyama as he got a closer look at you.

You didn’t know why, but this Oikawa guy seemed dangerous. Grabbing the back of Kageyama’s uniform, you bow your head slightly. “Hello…”

“Come on Airi, we have to go before Daichi-san gets mad.” Kageyama urges you, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself at that point.

 

“Now, now Tobio-chan. Stop trying to ruin my fun!” Oikawa says gleefully, pushing Kageyama to the side much easier than how you’d tried earlier. He leans down, taking a much closer look at you. “Uwahh!~ You’re a cute one, aren’t you?”

Your face flushes at Oikawa’s compliment, but that didn’t mean you liked how close he was getting. Taking a step to the side, you try to get closer to Kageyama, but Oikawa steps in between you two. Kageyama seems paralyzed by Oikawa’s presence, leaving you wide open to Oikawa’s staring.

“P-Please stop. You’re too close.” You mutter, losing your voice as Oikawa continues to hum and stare at you fondly.

“Oh don’t mind me cutie pie.” His cheesy smile never leaves, “I’m just trying to get a better look at the girl that changed our stubborn Tobio-chan is all.”

 

Before you could say anything more, Oikawa’s head was smacked forward, his forehead colliding into yours with a loud *THWACK*. 

 

“Oi! Trashykawa!” Another voice booms in the hallway. 

You hold your head, looking around Oikawa to find another one of his teammates coming forward. He looked angry, a volleyball being crushed in between his hands. 

“Don’t make me spike another ball at you.” The boy threatens, glaring at Oikawa before seeing the situation. “Huh? Kageyama?”

“I-Iwaizumi-senpai, hello…” Kageyama breathes out, his nerves still on edge. Seeing the latter come in allowed Kageyama to move again, and he rushes over to you to make sure you were alright. “Are you okay Airi? Does it hurt?”

“Oh shit.” 

Iwaizumi shoves Oikawa into the wall, walking up to you and gingerly pulling your hand away from your forehead. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that there was someone else standing next to Shittykawa.” 

“That’s so mean Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whines, “you were the one that hit me into her!”

“Well I wouldn’t have hit you in the first place if you hadn’t ran off after the match, you idiot!” Iwaizumi bellows.

Turning back to face you, his anger fades again to a more pitied expression. “Damn it, I’m so sorry. Airi, was it? Are you okay?”

 

You rub your forehead a little; judging by the impact, there was probably going to be a bump there tomorrow. It wasn’t bleeding or anything though, so you figured you were more or less fine. “I’m okay, thank you though.”

Your eyes loom over to Oikawa who was the main source of all three of your problems. Kageyama clicks his tongue in dismay while Iwaizumi’s anger seems to flare up again just by looking at Oikawa’s face. 

“You’re the one that hit her, not me!” Oikawa argues before Iwaizumi could say anything else. 

“How cruel Iwa-chan! You can’t hit girls! Especially not cute ones!”

“Yeah, but I can hit you!” Iwaizumi growls, smacking Oikawa in the head once more. 

 

Oikawa whines again, wiping his teary eyes with his jacket sleeve. A cheshire cat grin appears on his face as he looks at Iwaizumi, who never knew what was going on in that thick skull of his. 

“Ehhhhh? So you admit Airi-chan is cute, hmmm?” 

Iwaizumi’s face went from dumbfounded to embarrassed. He looks over at you and bows his head before grabbing Oikawa by the collar. “Sorry about him. Let’s go Kusokawa.”

“But you admit she’s cute, right? Right?” Oikawa yelps as Iwaizumi continues to drag him away. 

“I’ll see you both later, especially you Airi-chan!” 

 

You and Kageyama watch as Iwaizumi pulls Oikawa back into the gym, the two of you looking at one another before sighing. The two of you make your way back to the bus to find an angry looking Daichi watching with his arms crossed near the entrance of the bus. Bowing apologetically, you both board and sit down together.

“So… That guy was your senpai at Kitagawa Daiichi, huh?” You muse, trying to lighten the subject despite how pressured Kageyama was earlier. 

It wasn’t like Oikawa could follow them onto the bus, especially since it was already driving back to Miyagi. Kageyama sighs, shaking his head and burying his face into his hands. 

“He’s the one I learned volleyball from. He’s really good, but his personality sucks.” Kageyama mutters.

“Yeah I can tell.” You chuckle. “I don’t know how girls like him when he was practically oozing cheese, yuck.”

It was Kageyama’s turn to laugh this time. He let out a small snort, completely agreeing with your opinion on Oikawa. The rest of the ride is in silence and before you know it, Kageyama is fast asleep, his face smooshed up against the glass of the bus as it rocked from the bumpy road. 

 

Looking around, a lot of the team seemed exhausted as well, some zoning out into space while others were fast asleep. One of the people awake was Sugawara, his eyes staring down at his notebook bitterly. 

“Are you alright Sugawara-san?” You ask curiously, causing the latter to jump.

“O-Oh! Yeah, I’m fine.” He looks down at his notebook again and sighs, closing it and placing it off to the side for now. “What can I help you with Airi-san?” 

“Just wondering if you were still mad that Tobio played setter for all three matches.” You say bluntly.

Sugawara’s shoulders droop, but he tries to laugh it off. “You’re.. Very honest, huh Airi-san?”

“I apologize if I’ve offended you…” You trail off, “but I couldn’t help but be worried. You look sad.”

“I’m not particularly sad.. Just a bit disappointed in myself I guess.” Sugawara sighs, looking out the window.

Anyone would’ve been upset to have been benched by a first year, even you could understand that. There seemed to be a deepness to Sugawara’s frustrations though, something you couldn’t really make out, hence why you’d just asked him upfront.

Seeing you stare at him so intensely, Sugawara felt the need to explain himself more. “I know that my skills don’t particularly match up with Kageyama’s, but I know that I just want to do something that proves my worth.”

 

“But you’re one of the most valued players. Or at least in my opinion.”

 

Sugawara looks stunned, unaware of your true feelings for him. He doesn’t ask for confirmation, but doesn’t exactly seem as convinced as you were. 

“You know, you have the team’s trust and stuff.” You try to elaborate. “Plus you’re a lot nicer than this guy over here.” 

Kageyama snorts in his sleep, his forehead bumping against the window of the bus lightly as it continues to jostle from the rocky road.

“If you think Tobio is a better player purely for his physical activity, then you’re dead wrong 

Sugawara-san.” You sigh, “I mean, look at Hinata. He has far superior physical endurance than everyone, but he still sucks.”

 

Sugawara could only laugh at your honest opinion. It did make him feel a lot better though. 

“Thanks Airi-san.” 

“You can call me Airi.” You finish with a smile.

 

It was if time had slowed down just for a second. The way you’d slightly tilted your head to the gummy smile that shone back at him, Sugawara was entranced by you. It wasn’t just your looks that made him stop and stare, but the fact that you were so honest and yet didn’t mean it out of pure malice or anger was appalling to him. 

Your personality did remind him of Kageyama though, making him chuckle a bit to himself. 

“I can see why you and Kageyama became so close.” Sugawara says amused.

You on the other hand didn’t understand what he meant and tilted your chin in a way that reflected your confusion. 

 

When Kageyama had woken up from his nap, he felt his shoulder a lot warmer than the rest of his body. Using his free arm to rub the sleep out of his eyes, he looks down and finds you sleeping next to him. His face flushes, unaware of how to wake you up or at least move himself away from you without waking you up.

Looking around in a panic, he only meets Sugawara’s eyes who had his notebook out again, only this time, he had a smile on his face. He holds his index finger up to his lips to signal Kageyama to keep the noise down, looking at you fondly with a grin. 

Kageyama doesn’t dare move after that, trying to shut his eyes and go back to sleep in the hopes it would stop making him so hyper aware of your presence.


	4. Clevershima and Bakayama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama is so dense that it *hurts* but it's so funny to fuck with him o h my god

You were surprised to see so much change with Karasuno within the next few weeks. Old teammates returned and just like before, they were just as surprised by Hinata and Kageyama’s quick attacks that it almost appeared as though Karasuno had a chance at making it to nationals. 

 

“Hinata boke!” Kageyama’s anger bounces off the gym walls as Hinata misses another receive.

 

Well, somewhat of a chance at making it to nationals.

 

“Still, I’m surprised you were practicing with Kageyama out of all people.” Coach Ukai lets out a loud guffaw, “he’s a nut when it comes to volleyball.”

“So is everyone else here for putting so much effort into a club.” You reply honestly.

“The Kageyama look alike has a point.” Tsukishima huffs.  
Coach Ukai lets out another loud laugh, defeated by something he couldn’t argue. 

 

Looking at Tsukishima, your lips purse into a small frown. When the latter realizes you were practically pouting at him, his usual cruel snide appears. “What’s wrong princess? Can’t handle the truth?”

“I think I look more like my brother if anything.”

“Wahh Airi! You have a brother?” Hinata asks curiously.

Nodding your head, you don’t miss the way that Kageyama’s body turns a bit more rigid than usual when serving. “He went to Karasuno too. Played on the volleyball team and stuff.”

“So volleyball is in your blood!” Daichi grins, “I knew there was a reason why you were so athletic despite not being in a sport.”

 

“If volleyball was in my blood, my family would be six feet or taller.” You sigh a bit irritatedly.

You knew Daichi wasn’t making fun of you or anything, but to disrespect the hard work and effort your brother put into practicing was demeaning.

“What position did your brother play?” Nishinoya asks curiously.

“Don’t you mean to ask, ‘how short was he?’, eh Noya?” Tanaka teases.

The two begin to squabble for a bit while you think. Your brother was definitely taller than you, but not tall enough for his position.

 

“I don’t know the official positions, just that he kinda did a mix of what Hinata and Tanaka senpai do. He was only around 170 cm at most.” You hum.

“What’s your brother’s name?” Tanaka asks, throwing Nishinoya off of him. “I might know him since my sister went to school year a few years ago too.”

 

“Tenma. Udai Tenma.”

 

There’s a loud gasp that nobody else really understands, all eyes focusing on Asahi who looks as though he was about to shit himself. 

“What’s wrong Asahi-san?” Hinata asks innocently.

“H-Hinata! You don’t know who Udai Tenma is?” He panics, looking at you incredulously. “I thought you idolized the little giant?”

More gasps ensued, everyone’s attention being focused on you in disbelief.

Hinata immediately runs forward, his hands grabbing your shoulders with enough force to knock you over if Tsukishima hadn’t supported you. “Airi! Y-Y-You know the little giant?!” 

 

“I didn’t know that was his nickname.” You wince. Hinata was too excited to realize that his hold on you hurt. Luckily for you, Tsukishima did. Unluckily for Hinata, Tsukishima smacked him right in the forehead to push him off of you. “Thanks Tsukishima-san.”

“Kei is fine.” He huffs, taking a few steps back.

You realized you were in his space and take a few steps away as well, leaving you surrounded by your baffled team members. Daichi looked like his brain had short circuited while Sugawara seemed like he wanted to laugh at the situation, his eyes darting from Tsukishima who had been nice enough to help you out of that situation to an angry Kageyama who was walking over to your side.

“Hinata! You have too much energy! Dumbass! Idiot! Dumbass idiot!” Kageyama roars, yanking Hinata away by the collar of his shirt despite his obvious restraint. 

“W-Wait! Airi you have to teach me all of the little giant’s secret moves!” Hinata screams at the top of his lungs, fighting off Kageyama with all his might. “J-Just one would be enough!”

 

“My brother didn’t have special moves.” 

Hinata’s fussy complaints were silenced by your serious expression. Your eyes were glazed over, a smile void on your face. 

“He just practiced a lot. And I helped, but only by tossing the ball to him. And receiving sometimes.” You mutter.

Looking up, everyone seemed bewildered by your answer. You blink- Once, then twice. Looking over at Hinata, he was still in shock. “Plus, you can’t even handle receives. Why would you think you could do any sort of ‘special move’ in the first place?”

Hinata’s jaw drops, his soul leaving his body as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi laugh at the brutal truth behind your words. 

 

Since you’d been helping the volleyball club with practicing, there was no need for you and Kageyama to have your solo practice afterwards. Once Coach Ukai had figured out that Kageyama was doing practice on top of practice, he’d banned it, saying something about how “recooperation was just important as practice itself”. 

Everyone was walking home, Kageyama being a bit more protective than normal against Hinata’s antics. But as usual, when he was too occupied by the orange ball of sunshine, Tsukishima would weasel his way in between you two to cause mischief. 

 

“Why would you practice so hard with your brother if volleyball was just a club, hmm?” He asks with a small scoff, laughing at your hypocritic words.

“Volleyball is a club, but helping him do something he really wanted to do came first.” You reply honestly. “Don’t be a prude Kei.”

“Ahh ahh, I see.” Tsukishima lifts his hands in defeat. He doesn’t miss the small twitch in Kageyama’s eye when you’d called him Kei, the corner of his lips turning up menacingly. “My, but this is nice. Kei is much shorter than Tobio, so you must like saying my name more, hm?”

You look at him with a dumbfounded expression. “It’s a name not my preference.”

Kageyama nods his head, “y-yeah, I can do that too. It’s not that big a deal.”

“Oh really?” Tsukishima challenges. “So what would you call Airi to you then?” 

“To me, she’d be Ai.” Kageyama says with a tight lipped smile, clearly trying to one up Tsukishima.

When the latter begins to laugh crudely, his triumphant expression drops. He doesn’t understand why the latter is laughing or why Yamaguchi looks so embarrassed. His other teammates had mixed expressions; some of them looked disappointed in him while others had blushes on their faces, pointing fingers in his direction.

 

“What are you all doing?” Kageyama asks angrily, not liking being left out of the loop.  
Looking down at you, all you could do was laugh at how dense he was. 

 

Later that night when Kageyama had gotten home, he was thinking about why everyone had been laughing at him and gasps. He buries his face into his hands. 

 

“To me, she’d be Ai (love).” 

 

Now he was never going to hear the end of it from Tsukishima.


	5. Bakayama 2.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can a boy be so dense? Probably

“Let’s have a good match!” 

You whistle, amazed by the ferocity between the two teams. It was Karasuno against Nekoma and you watched in silence, slightly amazed and a bit upset.

You were amazed how scary the sport could get considering that one slight mistake could lead to injury if the boys aren't careful. Then again, you were upset because you weren’t able to experience watching a volleyball game in person like this so up close. You never paid too much attention to your brother’s games because you’d always been in school during his matches. 

“This is for having two cute managers!” The mohawked boy yells, spiking the ball into the floor just beyond Nishinoya’s reach. 

You look at Shimizu, pointing at yourself in disbelief as she just laughs. The game was fun and the feeling of seeing the shock on Karasuno’s opponents’ faces when the freak quick combo came out was always fulfilling. 

Unfortunately Karasuno had lost and you watched bitterly as Nekoma’s captain shook Daichi’s hand with a devious smile. When they’d finished, the bed headed boy had looked straight at you, causing you to jump in shock. 

 

“We’re so sorry Airi!” 

You didn’t expect the whole Karasuno volleyball team to be bowing in front of you either. “W-Wait! Why are you all apologizing?”

“W-We made a bet with Nekoma saying that we were better because we had you.” Daichi mutters, not lifting his head despite your protests.

“And so? What does that have to do with me.” You asked confused.

 

The boys looked at one another, not wanting to speak the truth. Knowing that you’d have to get the answer yourself, you look to someone that would tell you. 

“What did you guys bet Sugawara-san?” You ask again.

Sugawara frowns, looking away. “If we lost, you had to say which Nekoma member is… The most handsome…”

 

There’s a moment of silence before you let out a loud laugh. The boys look confused and you just sigh, “is that why you all looked so worried? It’s just an opinion, it’s not like I’m going to date any of them or anything.”

Looking over, you ignore the dumbfounded expressions on the Karasuno boys’ faces and take a look at the Nekoma boys. Pointing at one with short brown hair, you watch as the entire Nekoma team laughs and cheers among themselves. The boy you’d pointed at seemed embarrassed, but grateful, refusing to look you in the eye.

“The libero?!” Nishinoya’s jaw drops. “Do you like liberos Airi?!”

“It’s not because he’s a libero. How do I put it…”

You stare at the Nekoma boy from across the court, your head tilting a bit as you try to put your feelings into words. “He seems like someone that could take care of me.”

“He’s short.” Tsukishima scoffs, earning a punch from you.

“He’s just the right height for me.” You argue, raising your voice. “You’re just tall, you light post!”

 

You might’ve spoken a bit too loudly, because now, the Nekoma volleyball team was slowly getting closer to the Karasuno team. The coaches were elsewhere, probably talking about the next meeting, unable to stop whatever the hell was going to happen next.

“Oho? You like devilishly cute boys, hm?” The bed headed boy said. His tall figure loomed over your own small one, causing you to frown. “A pout? How endearing little bird chan.”

“My name is Airi.” You cringe, “and it’s not because of his looks completely.”

With your fists clenched, Tsukishima saw an opening and takes it with full confidence he was about to embarrass you. “Oh? But you said that he was the perfect height for you, did you not?”

Feeling your words be thrown back at you, you feel your face flush. It was a lot more embarrassing to say your ideal type in front of a similar living being of it. Looking over at Nekoma’s libero, you ignore how his eyes widen when both of your eyes lock.

 

“I respect how much you care for your team. I can see it when you play.” You finally say, putting a fist forward for the libero to fist bump.

It takes a few seconds, but when he returns the fist bump, he smiles. Now, you had to admit his smile was pretty cute (though you wouldn’t say that out loud in front of everyone). 

“Morisuke Yaku. Nice to meet you Airi.” Yaku grins.

“That’s Udai-san to you!” Tanaka growls, not liking how close the boy was getting to his team’s manager. 

“A fist bump, yikes. What a friend zone move Airi-san.” 

“Shut up Kuroo!” Yaku hisses, immediately spinning around and kicking the bed headed boy in the ass.

 

There’s a moment of silence before you grin. “I like you so much better now.” 

 

It doesn’t take too long for you and Yaku to get acquainted, even exchanging phone numbers to Karasuno’s dismay. While Daichi was too busy getting Tanaka and Nishinoya to stop fighting Kuroo, you and Yaku had taken the time to casually talk, while tossing a volleyball around of course.

“So… Why me?” He asks curiously, bumping the ball to you with his arms.

You copy his actions and shrug. “You seemed the most normal out of all of them. Inuoka literally reminds me of a hyperactive puppy and I can feel Kenma analyzing me every time I practice tossing with Kageyama.” You shiver with a small chuckle.

Watching the boys argue, you sigh. “Plus that Kuroo guy seems too flirty. If I had a type that I disliked the most, it would be that type.”

You have flashbacks of meeting Oikawa at the game with Aobajohsai and cringe. Definitely not your type. 

 

Yaku laughs, “sounds about right. That guy… We might be teammates, but he still pisses me off.”

“Hey hey now, don’t talk about me when you can just talk to me right now.” Kuroo laughs, placing an arm over both you and Yaku. 

You make a face of disgust and to that Kuroo gaps, holding his heart dramatically.

“How mean of you Airi. I just wanted to get to know you like Yakkun is!” Kuroo feigns innocence. He gives Yaku a dirty glare before grinning smugly. “You’re not even his type, you know. Yakkun here likes girls with short hair.”

“O-Oi! Kuroo! Shut up!” Yaku chokes, embarrassed to be put on the spot. 

You laugh, “it’s alright. Just because he’s my type doesn’t mean that I’ll be his type.” 

Kuroo’s eyebrows raise curiously, a smile appearing on his devious lips. “Oh? But what if I told you my type was longed haired beauties?”

“Then I’d tell you that I’d rather chop off all my hair.” You deadpanned, pushing Kuroo away from you with a grimace. 

 

Yaku laughs while Kuroo pouts, not used to being turned down. You all talk for a bit more before the coaches return, signaling that it was time to go. You wave goodbye to Yaku as you board the bus, unaware of the awkward tension in the bus. 

“What’s up with you?” You ask Kageyama, unaware of why the crease in between his eyebrows seemed more permanent. “Is it because you lost? It was one game Kageyama, you need to lighten up-”

“We’re sorry.” He blurts.

“What?”

Looking at you with a bitter expression, his eyes drop. “W-We were so confident we’d win, we didn’t realize that making a bet would affect you in a bad way… Sorry Airi…”

You look at him and glance towards the back of the bus, seeing that the rest of the boys seemed a bit dispirited as well. You want to laugh, but seeing that they were all serious, you just sigh. 

“Well, stop losing then before you all end up putting me in a bad situation.” You say honestly.   
Reminding Karasuno of their loss, all of their shoulders droop. You let the disappointment settle for a moment before sitting up on your knees and looking back at everyone.

 

“As long as you guys win, I won’t have to worry. I trust all of you.”

Their faces steeled for a moment, looking at you as you take a seat to prevent Coach Ukai from yelling at you. You didn’t exactly like being put on the spot and took advantage of Karasuno’s post scoldings. 

 

“Unless you guys want to keep inconveniencing me, by all means, keep losing.” You laugh, talking extra loud to make sure even the boys at the back of the bus could hear you. “I might even get a boyfriend that plays volleyball, ha!” 

 

The boys collectively groan and you laugh once more.

 

When you all finally returned to the school, there was a quick meeting from Coach Ukai before you were all released to go home. Walking with the boys the same route you all usually walked home on, you’d figured the boys were tired out enough to not cause any trouble.

 

“So if Yaku is your ideal type at Nekoma, who’s your ideal type at Karasuno?” Tsukishima wonders aloud, aware of how your shoulders stiffened at his question.

Seeing his evil grin, you can only glare at him. You look around and find the rest of the boys eagerly staring at you for an answer. 

 

“Who knows.” You avoid the question, continuing to walk in hopes they’d let go of the question. 

 

“I think it’s Sugawara-san! Tanaka says aloud. 

Sugawara’s face flushes, “m-me?”

“Yeah, Sugawara comes off as the motherly type.” Daichi ponders, earning a slap to the back of the head from Sugawara himself.

“It could be Nishinoya-senpai because he’s short like Yaku-san!” Hinata says aloud.

“Shouyou, I don’t know whether I should praise you or smack you right now.” Nishinoya grumbles.

 

Rolling your eyes, you say goodbye to the rest of the team and walk in the direction of your house with Kageyama. He was unusually silent despite Tsukishima teasing you most of the way home. Looking at him, he appears to be thinking based on how deep the crease was in between his eyes.

Poking the tip of your finger in between his eyebrows, he gasps, being pulled out of his trance. “W-What is it Ai?”

You both go silent after realizing that Kageyama was pretty set on keeping the little pet name from yesterday. Before he could say anything, you just shake your head and smile. “Focus on getting better at volleyball Tobio.”

“What do you mean? I’m the best setter! Besides, Oikawa-san, of course…”

“I mean getting better at having friends, Bakayama.”

 

There’s a moment of silence again, the sounds of suburban lifestyle filling the air around you two. 

 

“Is Oikawa your ideal type?” Kageyama blurts out.

Your face of disgust said it all, but you couldn’t help but verbally shut down that question too. “No way. I don’t like flirty guys.”

Kageyama seems to relax a bit, but he doesn’t stop there. “What about Iwaizumi-senpai? Is he your ideal type? He’s not short, but he’s very motherly, or at least to Oikawa-san.”  
You ponder for a moment, the rest of the way to your house being silent. 

 

“I’m not really sure how to answer that question, but if it makes you feel better, then sure. Iwaizumi-san is my ideal type.” You answer honestly. 

Kageyama stiffens and appears uncomfortable, making you laugh for putting himself in that situation. “I’ll be going. See you later.”

 

“Are we… Friends?”

You were halfway into your house when Kageyama had asked the question. You barely heard him despite his usual boisterous voice.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have helped you practice if I didn’t consider us as friends of some sort.” 

 

Walking home that night, Kageyama was content. 

He had a weird feeling in his chest during the entire day, the feeling getting particularly stronger when he’d heard you talking about Yaku and ideal types. Now that he’d confirmed that you two were friends, that feeling disappeared.

Kageyama thought about the face of disgust when you’d talked about Oikawa and laughed aloud, the action shocking himself even. He then thought about Iwaizumi and frowned. Guess he had to be wary of Aobajohsai as a whole now, though he didn’t really understand why yet.


	6. Cute Freckles Boy

The banner was simple, but cool. You really liked it and wondered why it never made an appearance earlier. All but the first years were bawling like babies, touched by Shimizu’s effort behind the scenes.

“Let’s make it to nationals!” Daichi roars, heavy tears dripping down his cheeks as he throws a fist into the air.

The rest of the boys cheer, some just as emotional as he was while others grinned more knowing it was time to play against other teams. The only two that seemed less excited for the games was Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima held his usual stoic expression as he helped clean the gym while Yamaguchi looked as though he was in pain.

 

You might’ve been closer to Kageyama, but that didn’t mean seeing Yamaguchi like that wasn’t your problem. 

“Yamaguchi-kun!” You call, rushing to join him and Tsukishima after you’d finished cleaning the gym. “Wait for me!”

“E-Eh? Airi-san?” He stutters, looking at Tsukishima for answers that even the latter couldn’t explain.

“Let me walk home with you guys. Or at least until my stop.” You say as you adjust the strap of your bag. 

Kageyama was quick to gather his things, but stayed a good distance in back of you, seemingly walking with the others, but his eyes said otherwise as he continued to glance up in your direction. He appeared to be giving you some space and you smile at him, unaware of his intentions. 

When you turn back to face Yamaguchi, Kageyama’s face flushes a little.

 

“W-What’s wrong Airi-san?” Yamaguchi asks, visibly nervous at your appearance.

“I could ask you the same thing.” You hum, turning to look at him seriously.

 

It was that same look; the one that made the team so wary of you when you helped them practice. Usually your eyes were wide as you concentrated hard on making sure your tosses to the rest of the team were as decent as possible, but when were actually receiving or setting the ball, it almost appeared as if you were a different person. 

It was something akin to Kageyama when he was mad and Hinata when he was really focused. A truly frightening sight.

 

“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi gulps.

A frown appears on your face, upset that Yamaguchi didn’t want to fess up. “Not sure. You just look stressed. Is it about your jump float serves?”

Yamaguchi’s nose crinkles, your words hitting him right in the heart. Tsukishima is glaring at you as if you’d opened Pandora’s box, but you couldn’t stop there.

 

“I don’t know why you’re upset. Is it because you can’t do it consistently?”

Yamaguchi looked embarrassed and Tsukishima opened his mouth to tell you to knock it off when you’d intervened yet again. Your hands come up and grab Yamaguchi’s temples, gently making him look you in the eye instead of at the ground. 

 

“You can’t just become good over the course of a few months. Your effort is just as important as everyone else's. And I know you work hard Yamaguchi-kun.” You see him squirming, trying to escape your gaze, but you refuse to let him go like this. “We all do.”

His eyes finally meet yours without him having to fight you. There are small tears pooling in the corners, but they don’t fall. Instead Yamaguchi seems to fill with vigor, his slumped shoulders straightening along with his entire posture. 

“I-I’ll try…” He mutters, trying not to get too worked up despite the obvious change in body language.

You smile, finally releasing him. “Don’t try. You can do it. I believe in you.”

“We believe in you Yamaguchi!” Tanaka and Nishinoya cheer, jumping all over the latter as he panics. He didn’t realize that everyone was listening in on what he thought was a private conversation. Looking up at Tsukishima, the latter was already looking away as if he wasn’t phased. 

 

Falling back, you slow down your pace to walk with Kageyama. You point forward at Yamaguchi, “you should encourage him too.”

“Why?” Kageyama asks honestly, unaware of his chance to bond with his teammates. 

You sigh, shaking your head as the opportunity flies by. “This is why you don’t have friends.” 

Kageyama grits his teeth, wanting to argue with you when he sees the rest of the team goofing off together and talking. Not wanting to let you have the last laugh, he tries to put an arm around your shoulders in a friendly way. “You’re my friend, aren’t you, Ai?”

“O-Oi! Kageyama you’re choking her!” Hinata gasps, immediately trying to pry Kageyama’s arms off you. 

“W-What?! I’m not choking her!” Kageyama argues. 

He was so flustered by Hinata’s words that his hold around you tightened, making it look like he really was choking you. Daichi glares in Kageyama’s direction, but relaxes when you start laughing like crazy.

 

“Has her oxygen gotten so low that she’s going crazy?” Hinata fears.

“This is why I say you don’t have friends.” You chortle, looking up at Kageyama with a hand covering your mouth to laugh at him more.

Kageyama groans, eventually letting you go and settling with resting his arm on your backpack instead. When Tsukishima sees this, it was his turn to tease Kageyama.

“Oh? Didn’t know the king of the court was a pervert too.” He scoffs, “look at him try to touch Ai’s butt.”

“You can’t call her Ai!” Kageyama roars.

“That’s what you’re mad about?” Tsukishima laughs aloud, walking away as Kageyama continues to fume.

Kageyama looks at you and holds his hands behind his back. “I-I wasn’t trying to-”

“Don’t worry Kageyama.”

 

He watches as you walk a few steps ahead of him, turning around with a devious smile. 

 

“I look at butts too. Guess that makes two of us.” 

Your small smile turns into a full fledged grin, laughs bubbling from your lips as Kageyama flushes a deep scarlet red. 

 

“Airi-san, please stop teasing the first years.” Sugawara chuckles, a bit embarrassed by your bold words. He places two hands on your shoulders to calm you, only to meet your cheshire cat grin. 

 

“What? Volleyball guys have nice butts.” You playfully wink at Sugawara, watching as his composed expression is shredded to bits.

 

You laugh again for the nth time that night. The Karasuno volleyball team was fun to be with and you enjoy the walk home poking fun at Kageyama and your newfound love for butts.


	7. Mama Airi and Her Baby Crows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa is the type of character every story needs to progress the plot ahaha

“Airi-chan! Look here!” 

You flinch as a familiar voice calls for you. You instinctively grab Kageyama who was just as stiff as you were, pushing him between you and the menace rushing over to you.

“Ehhh, don’t be so mean Airi-chan!” Oikawa whines. Looking down at Kageyama, he glares at the younger. “Move Tobio-chan.”

“N-No…” Kageyama’s voice falters, allowing his poor resolve to be shoved to the side by Oikawa.

“To what do I owe the pleasure Oikawa-san?” You sigh, hoping he’d just bother you for a bit before Iwaizumi came out and dragged him away again.

“I want to make a bet!”

 

Hearing about a bet, the entire Karasuno team freezes up. They lost the last bet they made and making a bet with someone as crafty as Oikawa never meant well. Seeing that nobody from Karasuno was against it, Oikawa continued to speak freely.

 

“If we beat Karasuno in a match, you have to come to our school and be a manager for a month!”

“No way.” Kageyama shuts him down immediately.

Oikawa’s fierce eyes made the latter cower, “s-she can’t miss school… Aobajohsai is too far from Karasuno.”

“Nuh-uh, that’s why I have this here!” 

Oikawa brights out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, revealing a student transfer paper. Apparently it was an event that all high schools in the Miyagi area did in order to have their high school students get to know other high school students in the prefecture. You take the paper and read over its contents; you’d have a place to live and even be provided with your own uniform of choice depending on what school you went to. You were appalled that Oikawa was going through such lengths to possibly spite Kageyama? Or was it because he just wanted to get to know you better? 

Sugawara stares at Oikawa, slowly making his way over to your side “Don’t do it Ai. He’s trouble.”

“Oh we know.” Kageyama glowers at his senpai. 

“I’ll do it.” You say confidently. 

The entire Karasuno team is ready to argue for your sake, but they stop in shock as you rip up the paper quickly, its pieces being crumpled into a ball as you push the bits back into Oikawa’s hands. 

“If you lose, then you have to admit Kageyama is a better setter than you.” You grin deviously.  
Your smile grows deeper as Oikawa grimaces, not wanting to admit defeat that easily. 

“I agree.” He bites back, putting the ripped pieces back into his pocket. Leaning forward, he puts a hand on your head and ruffles your hair a bit. “Can’t wait to see you in my school’s uniform little bird-”

 

As if by some sort of comedic fate, Oikawa’s head smacks right into yours, a volleyball rolling away from the crime scene as you both hold your heads.

“Oi! Shittykawa, the coach-”

Iwaizumi looks at the scene and curses. “Fuck! I’m so sorry Airi!” 

“How is it that your timing is so convenient for everyone but us, Iwaizumi-san?” You whine, rubbing his sore head. 

“Sorry, sorry- fuck, I’m so sorry.” Iwaizumi panics, “are you okay?”

“I got hit too Iwa-chan! Ask if I’m okay too!” Oikawa wails.

Iwaizumi shoves him aside, “if you were really hurt, you wouldn’t be able to talk right now, Bakakawa.”

 

Once you assure Iwaizumi that you were okay, he nods and proceeds to drag Oikawa away, unaware of the way that he was sticking his tongue out as he was dragged by the collar. 

Looking back at you, an excited smile reappears on his face. “Don’t forget the bet Airi-chan! I’ll be waiting!”

 

You sigh as the nuisance is finally gone. “So anyways, what team are we playing against first-”

“Airi! How could you just- just.. Sell yourself to him like that!” Tanaka panics, his face looking pale as he shakes in his shoes.

“What?” You look at the boys that were all looking as sick as Hinata was at this point. “It’s just a bet.”

“Yeah, a bet that takes you away from us for a whole month if we don’t win!” Nishinoya argues. 

You shake your head, “I wouldn’t have made the bet if I knew we were going to lose.”

“But still… It’s Aobajohsai we’re talking about.” Sugawara waivers. 

Not to mention that’s if we beat all of the other teams participating before them.” Asahi winces, remembering his match with Date Tech.

“If I don’t beat Oikawa-senpai then… If I can’t win…” Kageyama mutters to himself, his expression dark as he begins to get lost in his own pity party.

 

Grabbing a rigid Kageyama by the hand, you proceed to tug him towards the gymnasium. He moves, but is barely aware of his own surroundings. You knew this and sigh, making a mental note to talk to him later. Tilting your head, you motion for the others to follow. 

 

“B-But Airi, they’re Aobajohsai…” Hinata quivers.

Looking back at the boys, your eyes were steeled with unwavering confidence. You had your serious look again, one that made all of the boys get goosebumps.

You weren’t the little giant’s sister for nothing.

“I don’t think you boys will lose. That’s why I made the bet.”

 

Silence ensued throughout the group; some of the boys were baffled by how amazing you looked in the light while others were still afraid for the matches to come. 

Daichi was the first to laugh, albeit he was still shaken by the turn of events that occured. He knew the team was on edge ever since stepping into the bus, but what kind of captain would he be if he let Airi do all the talking? 

“Let’s kick some ass guys.” Daichi says, clapping his hands and pushing the more frightened boys forward. 

 

You smile, liking how positive Daichi was. Walking into the gym, you were brimming with confidence.


End file.
